


Count the Blessings

by CenozoicSynapsid



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, הגדה של פסח | Passover Haggada
Genre: Alternate Universe - Jewish, Collection: Purimgifts Extras, Gen, Leftover From Last Year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:01:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23018962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CenozoicSynapsid/pseuds/CenozoicSynapsid
Summary: "This is an Entish celebration, after all. It might be hours before they actually drink anything."More inexplicably Jewish hobbits celebrate Pesach.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 12
Collections: Purimgifts 2020





	Count the Blessings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Storyteller1358](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storyteller1358/gifts).



“What do you think they’re talking about?” asked Pippin. They were sitting, quite unnoticed, at the side of the dingle, watching the Ents at their great muster within and listening to the deep slow music of their voices.

“I couldn’t begin to guess,” said Merry. “It’s like horns blowing far off. No! Like thunder over the hills in spring.”

“I’d hoped you were going to say ‘dinner’,” said Pippin. “Horns and thunder are all very well, but Treebeard said this was to be a feast, and we’ve had nothing for hours but that little sip they gave us when they started, _to remind us of the bitterness of Angband_ , and that burned like fire going down. Have you ever heard of Angband?”

“Yes,” said Merry, and shuddered. “Gandalf told me some stories, once. Be glad you haven’t.”

“Well, I am glad, then. But at any rate, I’m going to see if Quickbeam will tell us what they’re really saying. Or when they’ll bring out another Ent-draught.”

“All right,” said Merry. “But don’t blame me if you don’t like what you hear. This is an Entish celebration, after all. It might be hours before they actually drink anything.”

Pippin slipped toward the circle of Ents, Merry following a few paces behind him. They were clustered in the center of the dingle, and as they chanted to one another, they waved their long fingers back and forth, and nodded their moss-covered heads. Pippin looked up, and saw overhead how the branches rustled, gently but perceptibly keeping the rhythm. “I wonder what would happen if they got excited?” he thought. “Perhaps the whole forest would stand up to dance with them.” He tapped Quickbeam lightly with his hand, feeling rather like a little hobbit-boy tugging the hem of his father’s coat.

“Ha, hm, my friends, I had almost forgotten you were here.”

The slender Ent backed away from the circle a few steps.

“It must be wearying to listen to all this without knowing what it means. But then, I almost find it wearying myself. Finglas is arguing that the Valar in their wrath at the Great Battle struck Morgoth with fifty blows, but Fladrif— that is Skinbark in your tongue— says two hundred, and Treebeard says two hundred and fifty. And of course they must list every blow with its name in Old Entish, and that takes time.”

“Who’s winning the argument?” asked Merry.

“Winning! Well, Ents do not really _win_ arguments, you know. And they have had this one every year since longer than I can remember. It is just a part of the celebration, hm?”

“Does dinner come next?” asked Pippin hopefully.

“Ah, yes, there will be an Ent-draught afterwards,” said Quickbeam. “But there is much more to talk over before then.”

Pippin’s face fell.

“Next we will sing a song of the Valar and all the gifts they bestowed upon us from the beginning of time. They gave us life, and made us shepherds of the trees, and set us to speak on behalf of the growing things that have roots. In the song we name each of these things with its Entish name. We use the Elvish names from day to day, you understand, and they are quite beautiful in their way, but they do not really describe things as they are. But on this night, we speak the names of the trees in our own tongue. Then we thank the Valar further, for creating this fine country for us to dwell in, and all its provinces and districts, and then we praise them for casting down Thangorodrim and freeing the prisoners of Angband. And there are many other things besides. I can tell you about them if you would like.”

“Thank you kindly,” said Merry. “That much is enough for us.”

“Ha, hoom!” said Quickbeam, and the hobbits would have sworn they saw a smile on his bark-covered face. “I see you know the chorus already!”

**Author's Note:**

> I almost got this finished last year, and then didn't quite make it. So I hope you don't mind getting it a year late (and in a year when you technically didn't request this fandom).


End file.
